New Vehicle: Mercedes Benz Sprinter
It’s quickly become apparent that the Falcon panel van was simply not going to cut it - it’s uncomfortable to sleep in with all the gear we need to carry, it’s not as easy on fuel as I thought it would be, and there appears to be no light at the end of the tunnel after spending a couple thousand bucks on repairs with regards to reliability.
I decided against selling it, as I don’t think I’ll get back the money I have in it and since Dad ended up killing his Rodeo, I thought it’d make an acceptable farm-hack vehicle, and that I could fix the reliability concerns later, when stopping to make repairs didn’t mean stopping the flow of cash.
After much shopping around and research, Dad and I both decided that what we needed was a pair of Mercedes Benz “Sprinter” vans. Dad bought himself an ex-patient transport 2007 model NCV3 Sprinter, while I, having less to spend, opted to go with a 2003 model T1N Sprinter that was once a member of the Victoria Ambulance Service.
They’re oh-so-nice vehicles really, there is absolutely no comparison between a Sprinter and a Transit. Mine has a few niggling issues that I will address as finances permit, but thus far I’m exceptionally happy with it. It’s an absolute palace to live in now that the bed is in, gobs of storage room, and with the running around we’ve done I’m getting about 22MPG - I don’t think I’ve ever owned a vehicle that got such mileage, much less one the size of this thing.
The mileage on the NCV3 is slightly worse, though apparently that’s to be expected due to the DPF on them. Dad is still absolutely thrilled, however, as compared to the mileage of the severely-overloaded Holden Rodeo, the mileage difference is like day and night.
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Red Lion VIC 3371, AustraliaNavigation: Older Entry Newer Entry